The Emirates Group Position

Committed to making a difference through the ‘Emvironment’ programme

The Emirates Group’s vision is to be an environmental leader in the aviation and travel industries. Our goal is to make sustainability and eco-efficiency the cornerstones of all group operations, in the air and on the ground.

Aviation is one of the world’s most important contributors to economic and social development – particularly in the developing world. The aviation industry employs over 32 million people worldwide and represents 35% of world trade by value - it contributes US$1.1 trillion per annum to world GDP.

The aviation industry recognises that, although it is only responsible for less than 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, it must be committed to growing sustainably and reducing growth of its emissions. To put this in perspective, shipping accounts for some 4% of human emissions, while ground transport accounts for almost 14% (IPCC, 2004). At current growth rates, aviation is expected to account for only 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Read more about this at www.flyingmatters.org.uk.

Emirates is committed to a global solution for managing the growth in international aviation emissions, through ICAO – the International Civil Aviation Organisation – as mandated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Our customers, staff and regulators are increasingly conscious about the environment and greenhouse gas emissions.

Emirates has committed to environmentally-responsible operations through the Group’s Corporate Environmental Policy (click here to view). This policy is implemented internally through the ‘Emvironment’ programme – which is communicated internally and externally to staff, customers and all stakeholders.

Our focus is becoming an ecologically-efficient organisation – growing our business to be economically sustainable, while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution. If we achieve these aims, it benefits our customers, the environment and our business - the triple bottom line.

The Emirates Group’s commitment to eco-efficiency means multi-billion dollar investments in the most modern, eco-efficient technology available – in aircraft, engines and ground equipment – we strive to be leaders in eco-efficiency in our industry and in our region.

We are committed to operating our assets in the most environmentally responsible manner, and in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and standards.

Emirates firmly supports our industry’s four-pillar strategy to reduce emissions, as developed by our industry body – the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Read more about this strategy at www.enviro.aero.

Implementation of this strategy includes the use of new technology throughout our Group; making significant investments in the most modern, low-noise, low emissions aircraft available; encouraging governments to make air navigation more fuel and emission friendly; and reducing the environmental impact of our ground operations.

We are committed to further reductions in fuel consumption and emissions per passenger - our fuel efficiency rates are already 30% lower than the global fleet average.

Other goals include staff education, waste reduction and recycling, lower energy use and greater communication – internally and externally.

Our ‘Emvironment Champions’ programme engages over 1,400 environmentally-conscious staff to participate in a wide range of internal and external environmental initiatives and events – in the workplace, at home and beyond.

The Emirates Group is committed to supporting leading conservation projects around the world, such as the 225km2 Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and the 1,250 hectares Wolgan Valley conservation reserve in Australia. For more information, see Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa website.

The Group also supports the Emirates Airline Foundation, which provides much needed funding to a range of humanitarian projects in the developing world. For more information, see: Emirates Airline Foundation website.